Saudi man faces 10 years in jail, USD $8M fine for keeping three lions in private resort

In Saudi Arabia, a man faces 10 years in jail, USD $8M fine for keeping three endangered lions in violation of the law in a private resort.

A team from the National Center for Wildlife, in cooperation with the Special Forces for Environmental Security, anesthetized the three lions and transferred them to one of the animal care units that belong to the National Center for Wildlife.

The Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture has begun implementing strict executive regulations to control hunting in the Kingdom to preserve the country’s wildlife—the ministry has specified penalties for unauthorized practices, including imprisonment of up to 10 years or a fine of no more than SR30 million for certain violations if committed twice or more within one year.

Raising wild animals incites great danger to the community and wildlife. Last year, the Saudi authorities warned of the illegal keeping of predatory animals and issued new and strict instructions in this regard.